Times change, but the bond remains

UDAYAN DAS : Perhaps this was the bond which attained its expression in two ways. Primarily this made the documentary possible. The bond here is that of a mother and a son. But there is also an expression of a bond that finds itself based on humanity, reciprocity and mutuality. This bond was explicit in the assembly of a bunch of notable personalities who came together at the DVD launch of “Chokher Aaloy: Sight of Eye”, paying homage to Late (Smt.) Krishna Biswas. It can be undoubtedly said that the protagonist of the evening was no one other than herself even amidst the presence of many.

Banner displayed in the DVD release program

The venue from the back

The venue from the front

The Documentary on Late (Smt.) Krishna Biswas is an 8.5 minute long depiction of her dynamic life in a nutshell. Like many stories lost in translation and submerged into oblivion, this could have been the case with this multifaceted personality if this effort to document her life had not been taken up by Susanta Biswas and Moushumi Biswas. A life which encompasses such wideness and utility needs to be captured through the lenses, so that the person could be remembered, treasured and never be lost. The documentary tells the story of an ordinarily extraordinary individual. A depiction of how simplistic yet effective one life can be.

Smt. Shashwati Dutta

The launch got under way after a performance from Smt. Shashwati Dutta, trained classical vocalist. Her scintillating voice uplifted the occasion even further. From thereon, hosts for the evening, Susanta Biswas and Moushumi Biswas took on the proceedings. They humbly welcomed the guests. Susanta Biswas, son of Krishna Biswas and the director of “Chokher Aaloy” spoke at length to the audience describing his road to this documentary and how it overcame many hurdles. For something which incorporates so much affection, obstacles are only of time. He invited Shri Mihir Sengupta, distinguished Academician and Founder of Kishore Bharati High School to launch the DVD.

Shri Mihir Sengupta, Distinguished Academician, releasing the DVD of CHOKHER ALOY : Sight of Eye

Shri Sengupta who was humbled by the prestigious opportunity to inaugurate the DVD, spoke about Late (Smt.) Krishna Biswas’s life and her social activities. He enlightened the audience about Krishna Biswas’s commitment towards eye donation and social welfare activities. 

Shri Mihir Sengupta congratulated the makers of the documentary Shri Susanta Biswas (Director) & Smt. Moushumi Biswas (Producer)

“I do not have the capacity to inaugurate this DVD, I can only present this in front of you all”, said Shri Sengupta after unveiling the DVD to all and signing the first copy. He also congratulated the makers of this documentary who presented the opportunity to relive the experience of Krishna Biswas’s journey of life.

Prof. Subodh Chandra Sinha, Former Principal, Rabindra Mahavidyalaya, Dumdum

Shri Sengupta was followed by a bunch of other notable people who spoke about the protagonist and the documentary itself. Prof. Subodh Chandra Sinha, Former Principal, Rabindra Mahavidyalaya, Dumdum spoke about his bond with Smt. Krishna Biswas which was almost that of a sibling. He fondly remembers her by the name, “Didi Bhai”. He applauded the fact that the documentary immortalised her personality even after her death. 

Dr. S R Banerjee, Distinguished Scientist, VECC, Govt. of India

Shri Anjan Basu, Director, Aurora Films

Dr. Sudhee Ranjan Banerjee, Distinguished Scientist, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Govt. of India and Shri Anjan Basu, Director of Aurora Films and documentary film maker also paid there homage.

Shri Bismoy Roy, Registrar of Publication, Govt. of W Bengal

Shri Bismoy Ray, Registrar of Publication, Govt. Of West Bengal, focussed on the aspect of documentation saying that often events and personalities are blurred by time and what only hurts is the absence of its projection and conservation. 

Shri Subrata Halder, Executive Engineer, SWID, Govt. of W Bengal

Shri Subrata Halder, Executive Engineer, State Water Investigation Directorate, Govt. Of West Bengal talked about his acquaintanceship with Susanta Biswas. He being a follower of his works claimed this creation to be an excellent one. 

Shri Amitabha Chakraborty, Cultural activist & Poet

Shri Amitabha Chakraborty, Cultural activist and Poet emphasised on Krishna Biswas’s family and its impact on her social welfare skills. 

Shri Shankar Ghosh, Elder brother of Late (Smt.) Krishna Biswas

Shri Shankar Ghosh, Krishna Biswas’s elder brother at the end summarised her personality, stressing on dynamism and welfarism. 

The evening ended through a recitation from Shri Prabir Bhattacharya, News Reader, All India Radio followed by the screening of the Documentary.

Shri Prabir Bhattacharya, News Reader, All India Radio

The event celebrated two aspects. First, the cause and the need to document priceless personalities and moments spanning life but moreover this evening, especially on the birthday of Krishna Biswas, was deemed fit to celebrate her journey of life, the price she put on human virtue and the essence of a complete personality that she projected of a common simplistic individual. “Chokher Aaloy” is simply put a rendition of that, a miniature form of her set in motion, curtailed by time and modernised through technology.

The Audience

The audio visual coverage of the program is uploaded in the following LINK :

CHOKHER ALOY : SIGHT OF EYE - DVD Release Program

The Digital Video Disc (DVD) Cover of the Documentary

Photography Kalyan Mitra